Felix Pie is being freed from the bench for at least one afternoon of baseball, according to Paul Sullivan. Not for good reasons like "defense" or "needing at-bats to develop." Nope. Because he's speedy!
Manager Lou Piniella said Pie sat so much because the Cubs faced four left-handers on the trip, and he expects him back in the lineup Tuesday night against Cincinnati's Aaron Harang. Piniella said he wants more speed in the lineup and to be more aggressive on the basepaths.
"The possibility there is to put as much speed as we can and force the action a little," Piniella said. "We've done that in a few games, but basically I've stayed with a set lineup."
The speediest Cubs lineup would include Pie in center and Ronny Cedeno at second, giving the Cubs four legitimate base-stealing threats, along with Ryan Theriot and Alfonso Soriano.
Of course, Pie and Soriano have to get on base to make use of their speed, and if Cedeno starts, Mark DeRosa would have to come off the bench.
I have no idea if Sullivan's remarks about Cedeno are indicative of all about Lou's thinking; the goal is certainly not to have Theriot and Cedeno in the lineup, so I certainly hope he's just idly musing about such things.
Labels: Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Felix Pie, Mark DeRosa, Ronny Cedeno, Ryan Theriot
This is one of the oldest arguments in baseball: blinding speed vs. OBP. Obviously, a perfect blend like Rickey Henderson (or even Ichiro) doesn't come along very often.
Some managers go for pure OBP at the top: Pedroia/Youkilis, Swisher.
Some go for pure speed: Bourne, Pierre, Theriot, DeJesus, Taveras.
Others go for a high-OPS speed/power combo: Sori, Chris Young, Granderson, Kinsler, Sizemore, Reyes, Rollins.
I'm not sure if there is any way to figure out which is best -- great blog fodder.
I'm not sure what good Pie's speed will do until he learns to steal first, but I'm just a dumb fan.
That's always one of my biggest complaints about Paul Sullivan. You never know when he's speculating, or if he's reporting on someone's speculating.
Anyhow, Colin, would you send me an email (Byron AT thecubdom DOT com). I have a question for you, but don't see an email on the page.